Becel Now Made with Simpler Ingredients

Although, my family and I continue to look for simplicity in the food we consume daily, it is quite difficult to know about all the different ingredients that go into basic kitchen supplies like margarine. Mainly because of this reason, a few years ago I completely stopped using margarine and used butter instead as it is easier to tell what goes into butter. Recently, I got a chance to attend the launch of Becel made with simpler ingredients and learn how margarine is made, as well as ask questions that have changed my perspective about margarine.

Expressing With Art

Art is a form of expression that allows us to easily convey our thoughts and feelings. From the first time we draw a dot or scribble as a baby to now when we draw a picture or take a photograph, we are trying to tell a story, express our thoughts and emotions to another person. We have all heard of the saying that a picture says a thousand words. 

Recap of We Day in Toronto

Craig and Marc Kielburger co-founded the international charity and educational partner, Free The Children in 1995. The organization works in rural communities of eight countries providing a holistic and sustainable development model that improves education, health care, agriculture, food security, clean water and alternative income programs.

Win $100 Home Depot gift card

This Father's Day giveaway is sponsored by Tip Hero to recognize all dads. One person over 18 in US can win $100 Home Depot gift card to help get their dad the perfect gift this Father's Day.

Connect, Collaborate and Commercialize at CDMN Conference on May 14-15

Connect, Collaborate and Commercialize at Canada's Only National Digital Media Conference (CDMN Canada 3.0 Digital Media Conference) that will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on May 14th and 15th. The conference is expected to draw over 2,000 attendees from industry, government and academia to advance Canadian innovation. The conference will feature speakers, Canadian entrepreneurship, and a wide-range of programs.

Win $100 to Shop on Amazon in time for the Graduation Season

 

This "Super Grad" giveaway event is sponsored by Tip Hero in time for the graduation season. One winner in US will be able to win $100 to shop on Amazon and buy a wonderful gift for their favorite graduate. 

Upcoming Tip Hero’s Super Grad Giveaway Event

  

Sign-ups are now open for this $100 Amazon gift card giveaway event that runs from May 7th - 21st.

Our Experience and Pictures from the Green Living Show 2013

We went to the Green Living Show 2013 that was held at Direct Energy Centre from April 12th-14th. This is North America’s largest consumer show dedicated to simple solutions for leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. This family event offered us lots of inspiration as it featured innovative products, educational demonstrations and fun activities. 

There were over 400 companies present at the event that taught and showed their automotive/innovative technology, health, beauty, fashion, home products and services.

Win $100 Walmart Gift Card To Help You With Spring Cleaning

This "Spring Cleaning" giveaway event is sponsored by Tip Hero. Tip Hero has featured many ways we can save money on spring cleaning. Their free homemade cleaners ebook features wonderful homemade cleaner recipes. 

Giveaway:

To help you get started with spring cleaning and redecorating you can win a $100 Walmart gift card before April 24th. This giveaway is open to everyone over 18 in US. 

Use the PromoSimple form below to enter,

Blogger sign up for 64 GB Surface Pro $899.00 giveaway starts May 1-29

Surface Pro Giveaway Event

Organized by: Mom to Bed by 8

Prize: 65GB Surface Pro {$899}

Event dates: 5/1 - 5/29

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Spring Cleaning Giveaway Coming Soon

Sign-ups are now open for this fabulous event.

Mozart’s Magical Castle at Casa Loma

Casa Loma has a beautiful holiday feel with lovely sights of Mozart's beloved opera The Magic Flute from December 1st to 30th.  

Casa Loma and Opera Atelier* has partnered to bring this family friendly event The Mozart’s Magical Castle.  There are a variety of performances, educational workshops and creative activities for people of all ages.   
*Artists from Opera Atelier’s production, which will be running from April 6-13, 2013 at the Elgin Theatre will be on-site at Casa Loma to perform excerpts from The Magic Flute. 

My children enjoyed meeting and seeing the dragon and other performers in the play.  They also enjoyed making a scale to decorate the dragon.  

This event combines traditional holiday activities with cultural exploration in a fun, engaging environment, so take your family and enjoy at the Toronto's castle.

Casa Loma
1 Austin Terrace
Toronto, Ontario
M5R 1X8
416-923-1171

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Tilley apparel goes anywhere

Tilley apparel has existed for over 30 years.  Over these years they have evolved because of their committed focus on innovation, fabrics and design.  The team at Tilley are constantly looking for the latest engineered modern fabrications that make durable, versatile, easy to wear and care clothes and accessories that are also trendy and fashionable. 

With Tilley apparel we can travel light with one bag.  My father-in-law is a frequent traveler that sticks to his policy of travelling light and with only one bag; this is something I always hear from him as he encourages us to do the same :)  I agree with him and believe that when travelling we should be comfortable and clothes should be the last thing on the worry list.  Having clothes that we can trust, which will not tear or wear easy is the best way to not worry about clothes :)

Tilley Endurables started in 1980 by Alex Tilley after he developed the original Tilley Hat (T1).  Alex Tilley is a self-employed art consultant and avid sailor who made this T1 hat because he was tired of his sailing hats getting blown off his head, sinking and shrinking.

All the clothing and hats except for the TF2 Fur Felt Fedora hat and socks are made in Canada.  Although this TF2 Fur Felt Fedora hat and socks are made in the US, they follow the specifications of Tilley's standards.  When I browsed through the clothing at Tilley Endurables I liked the quality and collection of the lightweight clothing and the idea of wearing the same clothes in different ways.  These clothes are supposed to be comfortable to wear for travel and for everyday use.  

I found the prices a little on the expensive side, but I guess we pay a little more as an investment for the quality of the products.  Tilley stands behind its quality and guarantee us that all their hats expect the Raffia and clothing such as their Drummer Legends items are guaranteed for life and the socks are guaranteed to be hole free for 3 years.  Since Tilley products are durable and washable, they are environmentally friendly and sustainable.  

Tilley donates discontinued fabrics to NGOs to use for other projects. Every holiday season, Tilley has a tradition of supporting the Sir Edmund Hilary Foundation that is dedicated to help improve the lives of the Sherpa people in Nepal, and they sell the Baby Yeti soft toy for $7 and the Mom and Dad Yetis for $14 each.  

There are lots of unique features in the fabric that Tilley uses in their products, however features vary depending on the clothing and apparel.  Some of the features include fast drying, wrinkle resistant, lightweight, water repellent, washable, colour fastness, UV rated at UPF 50+ which is the maximum rating that offers sun protection etc.  Tilley products are designed by an in-house team that is inspired by travel trends and suggestions from customers i.e. their Intrepid bag with the brown vintage, hand-distressed leather and Italian buckles was based on a WWII bag suggested by a client.  

I liked the spacious layout and creative decor throughout the store as there are photographs, wooden carvings and other unique things from around the world that are interesting to look at.  I like the unique style of the fitting rooms as each room had a name of a country on the outside and inside there was a scenic picture from the country mentioned.  

Although Tilley is mostly known for travel clothing, they are moving from this and making fashionable clothes for everyday wear for all types of body shapes and sizes so Tilley products are appealing to globetrotters and backyard adventures alike.  They are the leading manufacture of high quality hats in Canada and across the globe.  There are seven family owned stores in Canada and more than 2600 retailers in 18 countries sell their hats.

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Redesigned Old Navy store at the Toronto Eaton Centre

Women's section

We were invited to check out the newly remodeled Old Navy Store at the Toronto Eaton Centre.  The store was brightly redesigned.  The layout made it easy for us to look and shop for things we want and need :)  

Men's section

I liked how the store was spaciously and neatly divided into women, girls, boys, men and baby wear.  There also had an expanded maternity assortment section.  

Maternity and toddler baby section

I was really attracted to the fashionable collection of costume jewelry at the Old Navy store.

Fashion jewelry

I think this redesign is productive because we can find things easily and shop without waiting to ask for assistance.  Having the products easy to browse is helpful when shopping with young children and especially when we are limited with time.  

Shoes for all different seasons

The fitting rooms and the cashiers are in the center of the store, which is convenient and a good meeting place when shopping with friends and family members :)  Old Navy has "pop in" rooms, which is a thoughtful part of the design as we can quickly try the clothes on our children before buying it and don't have to wait for a fitting room to become available. 

Children's section

They also have an interactive play space for the little ones.  At the event my children spent time in this area colouring, which kept them happy and busy. 

My children were making sure to colour inside the lines for a contest

The new signage in the store is clear and lets us know when there are promotions, values and other things happening at the store.  Old Navy has everything from clothes to accessories for the entire family, which makes it easy for us to shop throughout the year.

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Rolling sushi with Bento

Everyone in our home enjoys eating sushi.  I have always admired the art of sushi and have tried making sushi at home, but haven't been fully satisfied by how the sushi turns out :)
I got a fabulous opportunity to attend a hands on #rollwithbento event, where I learned many skills and important tips about making sushi from experienced Bento sushi chefs.  With step-by-step instructions from the chefs, I got to make a beautiful pomegranate glazed rainbow sushi roll.

 

At the event, I learned the uniqueness of Bento that started as a kiosk in 1996 and now they are the largest sushi company in Canada.  Every year Bento sells over 13 million handmade servings of sushi in North America.  I felt very satisfied to know that Bento makes food safety their top priority; they rigorously ensure high standards in food handling are met using internal and third party auditing.  Bento is part of the Marine Stewardship Certification as they are committed to sustainable seafood; due to this certification they use Albacore tuna instead of eel.

Bento sushi is available in over 350 on site sushi bars in quality supermarkets, premier shopping malls, office towers, food service facilities and restaurants.  I am glad that Bento sushi is available all across Canada and US to fulfil our cravings :)  Bento has a variety of combos/selection and party platters to suit a variety of palates.  We like the convenience of "Grab and Go". 
Some of their selections of sushi include: 
*Traditional rolls i.e. California and Dynamite roll
*Healthy choices i.e. using brown rice, multigrain rice, low sodium soy sauce
*Limited time specialties and innovations i.e. lobster, coconut, pomegranate
*Party platters and sushi boats for large gatherings i.e. birthday, holidays

It is better to enjoy sushi fresh on the same day or store in the fridge and eat within a day of purchasing it.  If the sushi was in the fridge then leave it out for about 20 minutes before enjoying.  Sushi should not be frozen.  
We can enjoy sushi with any type of sauce such as soy sauce mixed with wasabi, sesame sauce or sweet chillie sauce.  Having sushi with a healthy seaweed salad on the side makes it a satisfying meal.  

Some etiquettes of enjoying the experience of sushi:
*Eat in one bite or a maximum of two bites, but don't put a half eaten sushi piece on the plate.
*Be light on the soy sauce and don't soak the sushi with the sauce.
*If it is hard to manoeuvre the chopsticks, eat sushi with your fingers the traditional way, but don't eat with fork and knife.
*And finally don't rub the chopsticks as it is not respectful, if there is splinters get another chopstick instead. 

More about Bento coming soon...

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We met Phineas and Ferb before the upcoming DisneyLive tour

We met Phineas, Ferb and some of the performing team members at a fabulous event, my children and I went to.   

We can't wait for the Live Tour that will be held in Toronto from Friday January 11 to Sunday the 13th at the Rogers Centre.  Phineas and Ferb Live Tour will be held in many cities accross Canada and US, so be sure to check when they will be in your town.

During this special event, my children and I enjoyed a child-friendly dinner and had cupcakes for dessert.  
Then the kids got into action with a scientist to make goo in their choice of colour and saw some cool experiments.  

My children also enjoyed warming up and dancing with Phineas, Ferb and the team.  We got autographed pictures that will be cherished.  

Enter for a chance to win a maximum of six tickets in this linked post to see the Live show at the Rogers Centre in Toronto before November 20th.

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Canada Goose will keep us warm in the harshest of cold climates

Canada Goose has been proudly manufacturing jackets for over 50 years in Canada.  I totally think they understand all the features we need in a jacket to stay warm during cold climates.  The authenticity, ingenuity and the years of manufacturing makes these jackets special.  All Canada Goose jackets have an Arctic disc symbol that depicts the features of the traditional Arctic map and creates a sense of community.   

The vision of the Canada Goose jackets are born in the designing room, where about 56 pieces are needed for an average jacket to be perfectly mapped out, cut and sewn. The craftsmen at Canada Goose use a variety of tools, including the Fedlock Dual feed sewing machine from the late 1920s to make these extraordinary outerwear.  The whole process of creating the jackets are monitored by experienced, skilled people that have been a part of the Canada Goose team for over 25 years.  They make sure no thread is overlooked as they inspect each jacket by hand to meet the highest standards of craftsmanship.

  

Each ounce of down used in the jackets are about 2 million fluffy filaments that interlock and overlap to create insulating pockets of air, which will keep us warm in the harshest of cold weather.  The down is used from the poultry industry, so no birds are harmed for the purpose of getting the feather.  Canada Goose only uses hypo-allergenic, lab-tested feathers and down from the Feather Industries approved vendors so all policies, philosophical and ethical positions are shared.  I don't own a Canada Goose jacket, however when I wore a variety of jackets at the Canada Goose 2012 Fall & Winter fashion collection event held in Toronto, I felt the coziness and comfort of these jackets.  Canada Goose says, that if we care for our jackets well it will last for generations.    

Most Canada Goose jackets have Canadian coyote fur around the hoods for functional purposes and not for fashion.  Canada Goose spokesperson said, the reason they have always used coyote fur in their hoods are because it doesn't hold water, never freezes and the uneven length of hair on the fur creates a windbreak protecting our skin and face from frostbite.  Canada Goose will continue to use coyote fur in some of their jacket hoods for functional purposes and also because this supports sustainable industry and the way Canadian aboriginal communities in the North live.  If you are not into the fur and will not need the fur, there is an option to remove it or buy Canada Goose jackets that don't have the fur.  

The jackets are lightweight and perfectly stitched, as I didn't see any feather plucking out.  The fashionable and functional designs are well thought-out, which makes the jackets ideal for all types of winter activities.  There were a variety of jacket choices for us to choose from i.e. different colour, designs and lengths... but I instantly fell for the berry coloured, knee length jacket :) I like the special features of the jackets such as the extra long fleece lined stretch cuffs that have thumb holes.  

Canada Goose has a wide collection of jackets for men, women and children to suit all types of lifestyles.  Canada Goose also has quality accessories such as headwear, neckwear, gloves, scarves, mitts etc... that we all need during the season.  I really like their 100% knit cozy merino wool scarf, which is already keeping me warm.

These jackets sold all over the world keep many people from freezing during the harsh cold climates.  When buying Canada Goose make sure it is authentic because there are lots of counterfeits.  Here is a link to the online stores and retailers. 

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Disney On Ice: Worlds of Fantasy giveaway

Worlds of Fantasy Disney on Ice is coming to Toronto from December 21st to 30th at the Rogers Centre.  In this performance we will get to see four of our favourite Disney stories.  Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney/Pixar's Cars.  Little Mermaid, Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies will be doing their wonders.  The characters of Toy Story will be there as well.  We are excited and are looking forward to watch the dazzling skating, special effects and our favourite characters.

Follow Disney on Ice Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date about the show.

Offer
Use the promo code DLKIDDO (on the box for "promotions" not on the family pack box) to get 4 tickets for $104.  This code is valid now thru Jan 13.  Maximum of 4 tickets each ticket thereafter is $26 each.  
This offer is not valid for front row or VIP seating.  No double discounts.  Additional fees may apply.
Children under 2 years do not need tickets.

Giveaway
If you would like win tickets to watch the shows on Dec 21st, 26th, 27th or 28th matinee show, please enter through the rafflecopter below.  Please let me know how many tickets you will need in the comment below and if you are in Toronto or will be coming to Toronto.  The giveaway ends on November 20th.
Update: The winner is Nelia Toronto chic

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
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We Day: Be the change

Give the Canadian penny that appeared in 1853, a powerful farewell before it goes out of circulation. Students and schools were given penny bags on We Day to collect $25 in pennies, which will provide a permanent source of clean water to one person in developing countries. From November 1st to December 21st, then again in Spring 2013 RBC branches across Canada will collect these penny filled bags making it easy for us to collect the pennies without counting or rolling.  All we have to do is fill up the bags and drop it off at any RBC branch.

Free the Children is an international organization started by Marc and Craig Kielburger. This organization empowers youth to remove barriers that prevent them from begin active local and global citizens. This program educates, engages and empowers youth in North America and UK. 
   

We Day brings big issues to the forefront and changes the value system of everyone, especially the youth as they become leaders. There are over 1.7 million young people from 45 countries involved in this initiative to make a positive change at home and abroad. In the 2011/2012 school year youth raised $6 million for local and global causes.  They invested more than 1.7 million hours of time volunteering. 

I support this type of active awareness and education, and believe it is important for our children to be involved in these positive changes. I attended the We Day event at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto and was able to meet celebrities and activists such as Martin Sheen, Nelly Furtado and Jacob from Hedley. We listened and saw speakers and performers such as Molly Burke, Romeo A. Dallaire, Robin Wiszowaty, Shawn Desman, Spencer West, The Tenors, Tyler Shaw, Al Gore, Jake Zeldin, Jennifer Hudson, Jesse Giddings, Justice Murray Sinclair and Justin Trudeau.

We Day will be held in 8 Canadian cities this school year; Toronto (Sep 28), Vancouver (Oct 18), Alberta (Oct 24), Manitoba (Oct 30), Waterloo Region (Nov 14), Montreal (Nov 20) and National We day in Ottawa (Apr 29).  

The generous sponsors RBC and TELUS make We Day completely free for students and educators.  TELUS has a Phones for Good campaign where they will give $25 (up to $650,000) from the sale of every TELUS Samsung Galaxy SIII and Samsung Ace Q to Free the Children.

They also have an Earn your way to We Day campaign. TELUS gives $1 (up to $100,000) to Free the Children for every submission from the youth across Canada when they tell what they are doing to make a difference in their community.

Youth between 13 and 17 can submit their video on how they would partner with a local charity to make a positive change in their community and win $20,000 to put their idea into action.

MuchMusic will air highlights on November 11th at 7pm EST and CTV will air on November 24th at 7pm EST.  

The international projects such as "Adopt a village" done by Free the Children is a holistic, sustainable model that helps children and their families from the cycle of poverty.  To make an investment in these communities, this project helps develop five of these important parts of the infrastructure.  

1. Education: They make a valuable social investment by concentrating on providing traditional curriculum, healthy homes and business skills.  
2. Clean water and sanitation by providing localized clean water sources and facilities to reduce waterborne diseases.  This source helps the young children that trek to collect water for their families to attend school.
3. Health: providing medical supplies for health clinics and workshops so the community can treat illness quickly. They provide community gardens and tree planting.  Sports equipment to encourage physical fitness.
4. Alternative income and livelihood by skill training, financial business training and microcredit loans to help families start small business.
5. Agriculture and food security provides nutrition programs that give children nutritious food, crop diversification, agricultural training, irrigation and watershed development.  

When there is rapid growth in technology it is sad to see that some parts of the world there are people without the essential of life: WATER.  Things we can do to help.

• Get a penny bag from Free the Children or RBC branch and start collecting.
• Visit the online water initiative and donate.
• Purchase a $10 Me to We Artisan handmade unique Rafiki made by Maasai moms in Kenya, which will provide one person access to clean water for a year.

Help Canada use the penny for a good cause that will change the lives of so many people and communities.  The penny is used to make wishes come true, so lets make the wishes of 100,000 people come true.

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Duracell DuraLock 90th Birthday

Duracell has been a trusted brand for 90 years.  81% of Canadians said, in the DuraLock survey that they would like to be prepared with batteries for the unexpected moments.
I was invited to celebrate the 90th birthday of Duracell.  

The timeline artifacts brought back memories.  I hope looking at these pictures will bring back memories of things you used as well.  (Click on the images to enlarge)  

Radio, walkmans, cassette players, CD players.

Toys from past and present; remote control cars, video games, Elmo and Furby.

Portable devices are a big part of our lives and is becoming more and more part of everything i.e. toys, essential items, medical, home etc.  Duracell batteries; Copper Top, Ultra power, rechargeable battery, Duracell DuraLock are batteries for every lifestyle.

The DuraLock batteries have a "good until date" printed on the package and are recognizable by the ring around it.  Even if the batteries are left with the packages in the cupboard for a long time, DuraLock Power Preserve Technology guarantees the batteries to work for up to 10 years, so we have access to power when we need it.

The special features outlined below guarantees Duracell DuraLock batteries for 10 years.

• The alkaline cells.
• Purity of the ingredients in the battery cell i.e. 24 karate gold, which is the best fuel to create chemical power.  
• The anode and cathode that protects the unique separator, which limits power transfer when not in use.
• The triple anti corrosive exterior protection with the nickel-plated steel keeps the batteries acid resistant.

Next time you are looking for batteries, look for Duracell DuraLock.

All rights reserved on photographs and opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First